Post office returns
stack of stolen mail

More than 200 victims of mail theft in Hood River County will soon receive a letter of explanation from the U.S. Postal Service.

Hood River County Sheriff Detective Gerry Tiffany said inspectors plan to re-sort and return the correspondence recovered from a suspect’s vehicle. He said the federal agency will also inform patrons that they have become victims of a crime.

Last week, deputies arrested Robert Earl Ross, 22, of White Salmon in connection with the thefts. He had been the subject of an ongoing investigation in Hood River involving forgery and stolen checks.

Ross will be arraigned for forgery, mail theft and identity theft charges in Hood River County Circuit Court at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

Tiffany said in addition to the local charges, Ross now faces federal penalties as well.